Veterinarians, livestock owners and animal caretakers in Bahrain will be required to report suspected cases of a wide range of serious diseases affecting cattle, sheep, goats, camels and other ruminants under new regulations aimed at strengthening early detection and preventing outbreaks.
The Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture Ministry has set out mandatory reporting requirements for diseases affecting ruminants, with some suspected cases required to be reported to the competent authority within 24 hours.
The rules cover both large and small ruminants. Large ruminants include cattle, buffaloes and camels, while small ruminants include sheep and goats.
Under Decision No (135) of 2026 issued by Minister Wael Al Mubarak in the latest edition of the Official Gazette, the treating veterinarian and the owner or person responsible for an animal must notify the concerned department when they discover or establish that an animal has contracted any of the diseases listed in the decision.
The concerned department will then assess the reports and take the necessary measures, including those related to disease control and epidemiological developments.
Among the diseases covered are foot-and-mouth disease, peste des petits ruminants (PPR), sheep and goat pox, lumpy skin disease (LSD), contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP), anthrax, Rift Valley fever and Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever.
The list also includes diseases and conditions affecting sheep and goats, including contagious caprine pleuropneumonia, caprine arthritis-encephalitis, enzootic abortion of ewes, contagious agalactia and brucellosis.
Other listed diseases include tuberculosis, epizootic haemorrhagic disease, Q fever, surra, Johne’s disease and salmonellosis.
The regulations distinguish between diseases requiring immediate reporting and those subject to mandatory reporting and monitoring, reflecting the differing risks posed to livestock populations and, in some cases, human health.
The reporting system is designed to ensure that information on suspected outbreaks reaches the authorities quickly, allowing veterinary officials to investigate cases and take appropriate preventive and control measures, according to reasons stated by the minister for issuance.
The decision forms part of Bahrain’s wider animal-health framework and is based on legislation governing veterinary medical professions, animal welfare and preventive measures against epidemic, infectious and zoonotic diseases.
It also reinforces the responsibility of those dealing with livestock to alert the authorities rather than allowing suspected cases to go unreported.
The measure is intended to strengthen surveillance of livestock diseases, improve the speed of official intervention and reduce the risk of potentially serious diseases spreading among Bahrain’s animal populations.
Any person responsible for an animal who breaches the requirements of the decision may face the penalties stipulated under the relevant animal welfare legislation, without prejudice to penalties under other applicable laws.
The agriculture under-secretary and the concerned authorities are responsible for implementing the decision, which comes into force immediately.
mohammed@gdnmedia.bh
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